The average person doesn't know what healthy is

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Replies

  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    bpetrosky wrote: »
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    bpetrosky wrote: »
    youcantflexcardio wrote: »
    I've had people ask me why I think I need to lose wieght when I'm at like 27% bf. I've heard people who would medically classify as obese say they are fairly healthy and a little overweight. I've had people tell me I'm weird for weighing out a steak, and call it obsessive to track what you put into your body, or be weirded out by things like almond milk, natural peanut butter, Himalayan pink salt, or calling my choice to 93% lean ground beef ridiculous etc etc., the list goes on.

    This got me thinking - is the average American person really so unhealthy that anything remotely healthy seems foreign and weird?

    I'm not weirded out by foods, but almond milk, natural peanut butter, Himalayan pink salt, etc are not on my normal shopping list. I don't see why those particular foods have any more health 'virtue' than dairy milk, regular peanut butter, kosher salt, etc.

    Just as I believe demonizing foods is an unhealthy approach, giving individual foods a 'health halo' is unhealthy too. An approach that includes a variety of foods that fit one's calorie needs and budget, and does so without creating arbitrary categories for virtue and vice, is preferable to whatever is fad of the moment.

    The US could stand to improve education about food and exercise, and how energy balance is key to maintaining a healthy weight. Perhaps if we could do that we'd be less susceptible to fad diets and random lists of Top Ten Foods to Never Eat Again type nonsense.

    A spiteful unikitty could only dream....

    Himalayan pink salt just tastes better. That's all there is to it. It doesn't make you healthy, it doesn't impart ancient wisdom, it doesn't come with a trip to the Himalayas to hike. But it tastes better, and that's enough for me.

    I'm totally on board with it tasting better, especially when used finishing a dish where a little stands out. But when seasoning food about to be cooked where it won't be noticeable I'd opt for plain old kosher salt.

    Samsies! I read that table salt is the only place we get iodine in our diets, so don't give it up completely.

    Right, none of my salt contains iodine and when I stopped eating Thai food on a regular basis, I started developing signs of iodine deficiency, so now supplement.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    youcantflexcardio wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    I really hope by "the average person doesn't know what healthy is" you're including aspects of health that aren't related to weight...

    Yes I am. I've been told "you're addicted to lifting weights". I lift an hour a day 5x a week. My roomates think its crazy that I ride my bike to my parents house sometimes - it is like 9 miles, not that far. Most people I know probably can't run a mile without stopping and they are fine with that.
    I've also been told it's a bit weird that I cut my drinking down to 1-3 drinks a week. It's a lot more than wieght.

    Obviously not everyone I know says these things but I do hear them and I just think it's a bit odd that things like this are even getting negative reactions.

    Ya, I had to get a new social circle when I stopped being a heavy drinker.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    When I told my OH we were having Hamburger Helper for dinner tonight he said, "Who are you?"

    I replied, "Wasn't the 'Homemade' implied?"

    I'm going for a blend of these two recipes, will throw in my own touches, and probably reduce the cheese due to the calories:

    https://www.countrysidecravings.com/homemade-hamburger-helper/
    http://divascancook.com/homemade-hamburger-helper-recipe-cheeseburger-macaroni/
  • RealWorldStrengthLLC
    RealWorldStrengthLLC Posts: 552 Member
    @kimny it is mostly roomates, and my neighbor who used to drink heavily with almost daily. I'm 29 BTW
  • Noreenmarie1234
    Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 7,492 Member
    edited October 2018
    I think most people have a warped perception, but only because obesity is normal to see now. With 70 percent obese/overweight, it is rarer to see people at a healthy weight. The more people see overweight people, the more their perception of a healthy weight is changed. A majority think overweight people are at a healthy weight and anyone in the healthy weight range is "sooooo skinny".
  • RealWorldStrengthLLC
    RealWorldStrengthLLC Posts: 552 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    youcantflexcardio wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    I really hope by "the average person doesn't know what healthy is" you're including aspects of health that aren't related to weight...

    Yes I am. I've been told "you're addicted to lifting weights". I lift an hour a day 5x a week. My roomates think its crazy that I ride my bike to my parents house sometimes - it is like 9 miles, not that far. Most people I know probably can't run a mile without stopping and they are fine with that.
    I've also been told it's a bit weird that I cut my drinking down to 1-3 drinks a week. It's a lot more than wieght.

    Obviously not everyone I know says these things but I do hear them and I just think it's a bit odd that things like this are even getting negative reactions.

    Is it possible you're sending off a vibe that people are reacting to?

    Not really, I don't talk endlessly about it - I come here to do that. I maybe make a mention of a goal or a PR once in a while but I definitely don't try to push anything on anyone.
  • RealWorldStrengthLLC
    RealWorldStrengthLLC Posts: 552 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I think most people know what healthy is...IMO, "healthy" doesn't have anything to do with using a food scale or logging, etc and I can see how people would think it's odd. I'm healthy and I haven't logged anything in over 5.5 years and I only use my food scale every once in awhile.

    I also don't use pink salt...it's been sitting on my kitchen counter for about 4 years...I've never had almond milk, and I do eat fattier cuts of meat along with a lot of other lean meats and protein sources. I exercise 5-6 days per week and nobody seems to think that's weird, but a lot of people simply don't want to do that. I cook most of my meals using whole or minimally processed foods which to my knowledge, nobody thinks is weird...but again, they're just not willing to put in that effort much of the time.

    I think intuitively people know what is healthful and what is not...it's more a matter of wanting to live a more healthful lifestyle or not. For some people I suppose it is or seems like a lot of work...for myself, I enjoy cooking and enjoy eating well prepared home cooked meals and I love riding my bike, hiking, rock climbing, etc...these things aren't particularly chores for me most of the time.

    I am bumping up Friday night pizza night to tonight due to needing a convenience factor with a school thing tonight.

    The bolded part kind of is the whole point of this thread - I think a lot of people DON'T know. I thought so until recently when I heard things like "why do you think you need to lose wieght you look fine" or hearing someone who is obese say they are healthy and only a little overweight. Or how people don't know what a true portion size is. Or how walking the dog for 5 minutes is excersise. Those sorts of things.
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    I don't really find this is the case, at least where I live and in my circle of friends/family (I am not in the US, just outside Toronto, Canada). I mean, maybe if I started to take my food scale out in public and stopped going out, I might get some questions, but otherwise everyone does their thing. Yea there are some people who are a bit misguided about nutrition, but overall people I know are very aware and they are active.. they walk, run, bike, hike, ski, lift, play sports, run marathons. Just do your thing.
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,347 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    youcantflexcardio wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I think most people know what healthy is...IMO, "healthy" doesn't have anything to do with using a food scale or logging, etc and I can see how people would think it's odd. I'm healthy and I haven't logged anything in over 5.5 years and I only use my food scale every once in awhile.

    I also don't use pink salt...it's been sitting on my kitchen counter for about 4 years...I've never had almond milk, and I do eat fattier cuts of meat along with a lot of other lean meats and protein sources. I exercise 5-6 days per week and nobody seems to think that's weird, but a lot of people simply don't want to do that. I cook most of my meals using whole or minimally processed foods which to my knowledge, nobody thinks is weird...but again, they're just not willing to put in that effort much of the time.

    I think intuitively people know what is healthful and what is not...it's more a matter of wanting to live a more healthful lifestyle or not. For some people I suppose it is or seems like a lot of work...for myself, I enjoy cooking and enjoy eating well prepared home cooked meals and I love riding my bike, hiking, rock climbing, etc...these things aren't particularly chores for me most of the time.

    I am bumping up Friday night pizza night to tonight due to needing a convenience factor with a school thing tonight.

    The bolded part kind of is the whole point of this thread - I think a lot of people DON'T know. I thought so until recently when I heard things like "why do you think you need to lose wieght you look fine" or hearing someone who is obese say they are healthy and only a little overweight. Or how people don't know what a true portion size is. Or how walking the dog for 5 minutes is excersise. Those sorts of things.

    This is not my experience...maybe you need new friends who are a little sharper...maybe it's an age thing...I'm 43...pretty much everyone I know knows where they stand health wise.

    I think it's probably an age and living situation thing. I know that at 44, the only people who know what kind of salt I use are me and the Safeway delivery guy. At any given time, my friends and I may or may not be drinking for any number of reasons, no one pays much attention unless it's something new and interesting to taste. Fifteen years ago, with roommates and a lesser need for sleep, that would not have been the case at all.
  • RealWorldStrengthLLC
    RealWorldStrengthLLC Posts: 552 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    youcantflexcardio wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I think most people know what healthy is...IMO, "healthy" doesn't have anything to do with using a food scale or logging, etc and I can see how people would think it's odd. I'm healthy and I haven't logged anything in over 5.5 years and I only use my food scale every once in awhile.

    I also don't use pink salt...it's been sitting on my kitchen counter for about 4 years...I've never had almond milk, and I do eat fattier cuts of meat along with a lot of other lean meats and protein sources. I exercise 5-6 days per week and nobody seems to think that's weird, but a lot of people simply don't want to do that. I cook most of my meals using whole or minimally processed foods which to my knowledge, nobody thinks is weird...but again, they're just not willing to put in that effort much of the time.

    I think intuitively people know what is healthful and what is not...it's more a matter of wanting to live a more healthful lifestyle or not. For some people I suppose it is or seems like a lot of work...for myself, I enjoy cooking and enjoy eating well prepared home cooked meals and I love riding my bike, hiking, rock climbing, etc...these things aren't particularly chores for me most of the time.

    I am bumping up Friday night pizza night to tonight due to needing a convenience factor with a school thing tonight.

    The bolded part kind of is the whole point of this thread - I think a lot of people DON'T know. I thought so until recently when I heard things like "why do you think you need to lose wieght you look fine" or hearing someone who is obese say they are healthy and only a little overweight. Or how people don't know what a true portion size is. Or how walking the dog for 5 minutes is excersise. Those sorts of things.

    This is not my experience...maybe you need new friends who are a little sharper...maybe it's an age thing...I'm 43...pretty much everyone I know knows where they stand health wise.

    I do need some fit/active friends, I won't argue with you there. I don't think its an age thing these I got the comments in question from a variety of ages, sometimes much older. I think it's more environmental - a lot of these are friends and family members live unhealthy lifestyles - after I came home when I got out if the military I joined them in those lifestyles. I fit in. Now, I'm going back more towards who I was during my service, and it's a shock because they saw me 2 weeks a year back then.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    psychod787 wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    youcantflexcardio wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    I really hope by "the average person doesn't know what healthy is" you're including aspects of health that aren't related to weight...

    Yes I am. I've been told "you're addicted to lifting weights". I lift an hour a day 5x a week. My roomates think its crazy that I ride my bike to my parents house sometimes - it is like 9 miles, not that far. Most people I know probably can't run a mile without stopping and they are fine with that.
    I've also been told it's a bit weird that I cut my drinking down to 1-3 drinks a week. It's a lot more than wieght.

    Obviously not everyone I know says these things but I do hear them and I just think it's a bit odd that things like this are even getting negative reactions.

    How old are you, or at least how old are the people who are commenting? Are you just talking about your roommates?

    I don't know anyone who would think it was weird to cut back on drinking, or to walk or bike instead of drive somewhere. Not that I know a lot of people who do those things, but they don't look down at people who do. I know plenty of people who aren't all that healthy, but do try to eat some stereotypically "healthy" foods in the hopes it would help. My parents, who think everything new is ridiculous, buy almond milk and natural PB.

    I do think a lot of people have a warped idea of what a healthy weight is. We get many stories here of people who are just out of the overweight range and have family members expressing concern that they are getting too skinny. IMHO people are just too accustomed to seeing overweight people, so they lose perspective.

    As far as weighing and logging, I don't think those behaviors are inherently healthy or unhealthy. Some people do think it is weird or obsessive, mostly because it's just foreign to them and they don't understand it. I wouldn't say that someone who thinks weighing portions is weird, doesn't understand what healthy is, though. You can live a healthy lifestyle and never touch a food scale or almond milk.

    Well kimny, in my "neck" lol of the woods, seeing people walk and bike places in strange. To OP, we live an alternative lifestyle, weighing, measuring, food/weight, and tracking calories is just some of our "bags". I don't believe it's any worse than people who have multiple partners or live on a commune. It is what it is and to each their own.

    LOL, interesting. I used to live in NY (suburbs) so probably a bit progressive. But now I'm in central VA in farm country and people still seem generally hip to what a healthy lifestyle may entail, even if they don't bother with it. I guess it's very regional! I see the OP is in CO, which is always held up as a "healthy" state, but maybe it's just parts of it!
  • tulips_and_tea
    tulips_and_tea Posts: 5,741 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    youcantflexcardio wrote: »
    @kimny it is mostly roomates, and my neighbor who used to drink heavily with almost daily. I'm 29 BTW

    That explains a lot. Roommates like to comment, criticize, and rag on each other. No matter what you do, if it is different than what they do, they will bug you about it. You don't even have to say anything, just by doing something they can watch you do they will bug you about it. Your choices are to either ignore them or move out on your own.

    Seems to me this is the case, particularly given the fact that the OP recently changed his lifestyle and per his other posts said he used to eat the same way and the same foods that the roommates do, so any change like that is noticeable and people will comment.

    Question for you, OP (don't have to answer), just curious. From what I understand, you originally got healthy and in shape when you were in the military. If you hadn't gone into the military do you think you'd still have the same lifestyle as your roommates? Perhaps they don't know much about health because they've never been in a situation where they've (or anyone else you see as not knowing much about health) needed it. Not saying that's an excuse because as adults we're responsible for our health but maybe it's a reason.

    My family is all unhealthy. I can't specifically say why I've chosen a different route other than I like being active and healthy but for them, they have vague ideas that they should eat less but no one cares to change. If any of them did want to change they'd need to learn quite a bit about calories, energy expenditure, not eliminating food groups, etc. so in my case I'd say the "average" person around me doesn't care enough to learn about being healthy and then follow through.
  • FL_Hiker
    FL_Hiker Posts: 919 Member
    Walking and riding your bike places instead of taking a car isn’t weird, but sadly I feel like it’s not so common anymore at least around where I live. When I was a kid my mom didn’t have a car, we would always ride our bikes to the grocery store. And when I was in elementary school I walked 4 miles everyday to school and back. When I asked my great grammy what it was like back in her day she told me the mileage that she walked everyday just going places and it blew me away... she said it wasn’t all that uncommon for a kid in kindergarten to walk 10 miles to school. Society now a days is so fast pace and demanding, most of us don’t have the luxury to walk everywhere anymore. So now I feel at least in my case I have to make an effort to exercise purposefully.
  • Evelyn_Gorfram
    Evelyn_Gorfram Posts: 706 Member
    edited October 2018
    I think that most people have a decent-ish idea of what's healthy; with the glaring exception of how weight loss works, and the inevitable skews caused by the latest food fad or food scare.

    I think what the OP is seeing is due to custom and herd mentality. Food behaviors are deeply ingrained, and small deviations are often treated like vast departures from the norm (whatever the "norm" might be).

    When I was growing up, my food was weird to neighbors and schoolmates. It was the late 1960's/early 1970's, but my father had Meniere's disease; and so Mom used very little salt and lots of herbs and even (gasp!) garlic! And it seemed like the only people besides us who ate large kosher pickles lived in ethnic enclaves in New York City, and the only others who ate yogurt were 107-yo goat herders in Azerbaijan.

    My parents also moved in politically liberal circles, and so there were always hippie friends dropping by with tofu-&-something-or-other casseroles to share. The issue of whether sugar should be allowed in the house, much less the body, was so hotly debated that one hippie-esque family friend code-named it "Vitamin S."

    Now that I'm an adult, most of the people who get invited into my home have a wider world view and/or are more accepting of individual differences. But there's still a question of household etiquette that I struggle with: what is the proper point, after letting someone in the front door but before allowing them to open the refrigerator door unsupervised, to warn them not to turn the peanut butter right-side-up?

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